Israel and Hezbollah on Friday agreed to restore the ceasefire in Lebanon after a day of heavy fighting, reported The Guardian. In the fresh bombing, 18 lives were lost overnight on Thursday, threatening to derail the newly announced US-Iran agreement aimed at ending their conflict.
The renewed truce followed nearly 24 hours of intense violence. However, there is no clarity on whether Israeli forces would move out of the occupied areas of Lebanon. Israel PM Netanyahu had earlier said that they would not cede the regions.
While a scheduled meeting between US and Iranian officials in Switzerland on Friday was abruptly called off amid heavy bombing in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, Washington and Tehran have now reportedly sent envoys for the peace talks.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed by US President and Masoud Pezeshkian, created a 60-day period for negotiations on a long-term framework governing Iran’s nuclear programme and sought to facilitate the resumption of oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
Under the MoU, all parties were expected to halt hostilities across the region, including in Lebanon, Trump had said earlier. Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, warned on Friday that any violation of the agreement would invite a “decisive response to the enemy”.
Lebanon has become a major flashpoint in the latest West Asia crisis. This is proving to be a thorn in Trump’s efforts to disengage the United States from the war. The US President has repeatedly expressed frustration with Israel and Prime Minister .
